Much has been written and said about lockdown. People (like us) have been posting tips and resources we think would be helpful during this time. Admittedly just doing this, is actually quite presumptuous because, in reality, although we are all in lockdown, it’s a very different reality for everyone. So please allow us this apology if what we’ve felt might help you, has actually been hindering/pestering, we’ve probably been dealing with a very different lockdown than you…

Some of us, for example, are home alone, perhaps ill, or simply unable to do our normal work or studies. Fighting the fear of facing a reality of getting far behind in our studies/career path, being laid off or not recieving an income in the very near future. For these individuals distractions can be good, they kill time and help us keep hope. But this type of lockdown also helps us realize that our value is not found in our careers or income, but in the fact that we were created simply to BE His.

“Perhaps becoming comfortable with simply BEING and enjoying who we are, can be the best gift this lockdown has to offer!”

For others, as I’m sure many of our dance parents can relate, lockdown has been a crazy blur of trying to juggle work-, kids and domestic duties during a time which was supposed to be more laid back… And, given the circumstances, the outcomes probably aren’t being met quite as well as you’d hoped. Although you are thankful to still be able to work remotely, just dealing with the disappointment of the fact that lockdown hasn’t turned out to be the ‘escape/opportunity or enforced holiday’ it’s portrayed to be, can be quite hard! This type of lockdown can remind us that our value is not found in our PRODUCTIVITY. But as people in relationships, sometimes, simply being TOGETHER, being FAMILY and really seeing and hearing each other, are some of the best things we can DO in life.

Screenshot from a re-post by one of our dance parents.

For others, like medical professionals for care workers, lockdown has also been a time of extra demands and pressure, while others seem to be relaxing. The flexibility and maturity required to live in closer proximity to extended family for a longer period of time, like in December holidays, is known to be quite a challenge. But taking care of an elderly parent or ill family member/s can also be very even more taxing, leaving little room for extra ‘self-care tips’ or to-do’s. This type of lockdown can teach us the joy of SIGNIFICANCE THROUGH SERVICE, nurture and care in times of need. In Mother Theresa‘s words:

“The miracle is not that we do this work, but that we are happy to do it”.

The differing circumstances in South Africa, where some households don’t even have access to basic sanitary services, not to mention uncapped wifi or technological services is also worth noting. This has made reaching out to our outreach dancers almost impossible… But Daniel Brink’s viral video doing the rounds, of a Nomvula celebrating her humble home (Watch it here: https://www.facebook.com/daniel.brink.353/videos/4242905442401874/) reminds us that whatever our circumstances, if we allow it, lockdown can teach us that happiness isn’t found in having all we want, but enjoying what we have…

Footage from Woodlain Village, Pretoria

So whatever lockdown cards you’ve been dealt with, we hope you play them fully, allowing them to help you experience truth that takes you one step closer to being fully alive. For as Iranues said:

“The glory of God, is man fully alive”

Something that might be even more contagious than COVID_19, and man, our world can do with some more of that!